1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highway toll collecting system and more particularly to improvements
relating to a highway toll collecting system of the type in which a passage coupon containing information such as entry interchange number and type of car
is given to a driver at an entry gate prior to entering the highway, and at an exit gate the toll is calculated and then collected in accordance with the information on the passage coupon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional highway toll collecting system of the above-mentioned type is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Publication No. 12,616/1983. In the conventional system, a passage coupon is prepared as a magnetic card and a passage coupon issuance machine is disposed in a booth (a passage coupon issuance room located at each of entry lanes) at the entry gate. When a person in the booth entry gate visually confirms the vehicle type and the number of extra wheel axles of the vehicle entering the entry gate, he operates a key-board of the passage coupon issuance machine to input these data. The passage coupon issuance machine issues a passage coupon on which prestored data comprising the present interchange number (hereinafter referred to as "entry interchange number"), lane number, booth number, personnel identification number, etc., and newly inputted data comprising vehicle type, date and time when vehicle has passed the entry gate, and serial number of issuance are printed. Further, the data comprising the entry interchange number, vehicle type and the number of extra wheel axles are magnetically recorded on the coupon and transferred to other booths. The prepared passage coupon is then given to a driver by the person in the booth.
A passage coupon confirming machine is disposed at a booth (that is, a toll collecting room) at the exit gate and a person in the exit gate booth receives the passage coupon from the driver when passing the exit gate. That coupon is deposited in the passage coupon confirming machine via a passage coupon insert slit. The passage coupon confirming machine reads the entry interchange number, vehicle type, the number of extra wheel axles, etc., magnetically recorded on the passage coupon and these data are then transmitted to a toll calculating machine. Highway toll calculated by the toll calculating machine is displayed on a toll display device so that the person in the exit gate booth collects from the driver a toll in accordance with the displayed amount on the toll display device.
As described above, in the conventional system personnels are required both at the enty and exit gates. However, since no highway toll is collected at the entry gate it has been desired that manpower should be saved at least in issuing passage coupons at the entry gate.